Winona State University Newshttps://news.winona.edu
Thu, 15 Feb 2018 17:25:53 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.432194978Diving Deep into Dancehttps://news.winona.edu/11182/diving-deep-into-dance/
https://news.winona.edu/11182/diving-deep-into-dance/#respondThu, 15 Feb 2018 17:25:53 +0000https://news.winona.edu/?p=11182Adyson Johnson’s first decision when she came to Winona State University was to become a dance minor. The Mankato, Minn., native thought it would be a great way to continue dancing after high school, but she never anticipated just how much the dance program would impact her experiences and her future.

The senior Marketing major with minors in Arts Administration and Dance will be performing and choreographing for this year’s Dancescape, and emphasized how much the WSU dance minor curriculum has informed her ability to perform and choreograph original work for a professional dance concert.

“I have been able to take the lessons and concepts of class and apply them onstage,” she said.

Johnson has been involved in Dancescape for several years and has held multiple leadership positions in the production, including serving as the marketing and public relations head for this year’s production. The positions have taught her about both the technical and business side of dance.

Adyson JohnsonPhoto by Forrest Seuser

“All of these leadership positions have given me the capability to stand out from other applicants, which can be tough in the competitive job market,” she said.

Last summer Johnson was awarded a competitive arts administration internship at Joffrey Ballet in New York City. She will work there again this summer and then hopes to find a job in a dance company in the city.

Johnson said that being a dance student offered her the opportunity to experience new things and meet new people. She also appreciated cultivating a relationship with dance program director, Gretchen Cohenour.

Courtney Harms, from Rockton, Ill., will also be closing out her senior year at WSU as a dancer and choreographer in this year’s Dancescape.

“I feel this Dancescape is really the culmination of what my whole dance education at Winona State has been and my whole range as a dancer and choreographer,” she said.

Harms, a Movement Science major with minors in Psychology and Dance, said being part of the WSU dance community and the Dancescape process has given her the support to take creative risks as an artist.

“My whole college career and how I view myself has been shaped and developed by the dance professors on campus,” said Harms. “They have taught me so much about dance and how to cope with whatever life throws at you.”

Courtney HarmsPhoto by Forrest Seuser

WSU’s dance program taught these seniors not just about dance technique, performance, choreography and leadership—it also gave them the knowledge and skills to stand out in interviews and the workplace.

“At my graduate school interview, we talked about how dance has affected my view on healthcare and anatomy, which is emphasized a lot in our program,” Harms said.

Harms will attend the Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical Center in the fall, pursuing her doctorate of physical therapy. She is interested in incorporating dance into her practice as a physical therapist.

Both of these senior dancers are thankful for the lessons, memories and experiences Dancescape and the dance program have given them from start to finish.

After Dancescape concludes, Johnson and Harms will serve as co-directors for the Senior Dance Show in April.

When all eyes turned to Minnesota in February to watch the Eagles take on the Patriots in Super Bowl LII, Winona State University’s Mass Communication alumni were there on the sidelines to make sure this momentous event was a touchdown for everyone involved.

Kaitlin Hughes, a 2010 WSU alumna, had the unique opportunity to collaborate on planning and design for the Kitten Bowl for Hallmark Channel.

“As a football fan and cat lover, I’ve had so much fun being part of the team that put together the Kitten Bowl at Super Bowl Live for the Hallmark Channel,” said Hughes, who serves as Account Manager and Graphic Designer for CLAMOR in Minneapolis.

Hughes said she enjoyed the opportunity to connect with different local vendors, producers and designers, and also learned a lot about environmental design through working on the Kitten Bowl.

Kaitlin Hughes

Hughes is proud to have had a hand in a project that will lead to the adoption of kittens in need of homes, kittens she had the pleasure of working with.

“I’m so grateful to have a job that keeps me busy while helping me feel fulfilled,” said Hughes.

At Mall of America, a team of WSU graduates pitched in to support Super Bowl madness, handling everything from media inquiries to community relations to social media.

According to Public Relations Coordinator Brett Burger, Mall of America was a natural partner with an event the size and stature of the Super Bowl.

“We’re a huge space—5.6 million square feet. We have two hotels attached, over 520 retailers, over 50 different dining options,” said Burger. “We have a lot to offer guests and visitors to Minnesota.”

Burger said his day-to-day job intensified as Super Bowl Sunday approached. “My regular work was heightened and multiplied. In December we slowly started getting requests from affiliate news networks who would be here for the Super Bowl. Then all of a sudden in January we were fielding dozens of media requests each day.”

Burger, who graduated from WSU in 2016 with degrees in Mass Communication and Theatre, would typically spend Super Bowl Sunday enjoying game day snacks and commercials. But this year, Burger spent the big day assisting thousands of football fans checking in to the mall as their security checkpoint.

Haley Anderson, another 2016 Mass Communication graduate who works at Mall of America, also enjoyed the hustle and excitement of hosting the Super Bowl in Minneapolis.

“Every time I thought I was ready for it to be over with, I just reminded myself that I’ll probably never get to do this again and that snapped me right back into loving every second of it,” said Anderson, who currently serves as an intern at MOA and will join the team full-time in March as Community Relations Coordinator.

Quinn Anderson is the newest WSU alumna to join the MOA family. The 2017 graduate serves as the mall’s Social Media Specialist, using skills and strategies she learned during her college career to communicate with mall guests and share events and information via MOA’s social media platforms.

“Seeing all of the hard work every single team member at the Mall has been contributing to get ready for the Super Bowl and seeing it all come together… it’s just hard to not smile the entire time I’m at work,” Anderson said. “It’s great seeing everyone come together and knowing the hard work has paid off!”

Brett Burger meeting Idina Menzel at one of the Super Bowl LIVE Festivities.

The opportunity to work on a large-scale event of national significance so early in their careers was not lost on these young alumni.

“One of my bosses kept saying how awesome it is that we’re so new to the field and we get to work on a huge event like this,” Burger added. “I know I’m fortunate that Winona State and the Mass Communication program prepared me so much for this position. I learned so many skills and techniques that I really do use every day with my position at Mall of America.”

The department of Mass Communication at Winona State University is comprised of four programs: Advertising, Journalism, Public Relations, and Creative Digital Media. Each year the department graduates 70 students who have gained hands-on, real life experience working with professional clients on campaigns, publications and productions. Students enjoy access to creative work spaces, a professional TV studio, on campus radio station, audio lab, a dark room and a transmedia “makerspace” lab. Faculty are engaged in advancing student learning through scholarship, creative endeavors and projects.

To learn more about the department of Mass Communications at Winona State, please visit the Mass Communication website.

For more information, contact University Communications at 507-457-5024.

]]>https://news.winona.edu/11130/all-star-alumni-take-on-super-bowl/feed/011130WSU Theatre and Dance presents Dancescape 2018https://news.winona.edu/11019/wsu-theatre-and-dance-presents-dancescape-2018/
https://news.winona.edu/11019/wsu-theatre-and-dance-presents-dancescape-2018/#respondFri, 02 Feb 2018 14:11:46 +0000https://news.winona.edu/?p=11019Winona State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present the 28th annual Dancescape concert on the Vivian Fusillo Main Stage in the Performing Arts Center. The concert will run for three nights, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, through Saturday, Feb. 17.

Featuring choreography created and performed by students, faculty and guest choreographers, the event will explore a broad range of themes and variations through movement.

Dancescape Artistic Director Gretchen Cohenour has created an original piece, “Tether,” a new quartet that plays with “the ties that bind relationships and life.” Two guest choreographies will be premiered, including “Dark Ecology,” created by the WSU Lyceum-sponsored “Body Cartography Project,” and Minneapolis choregrapher Berit Ahlgren’s “Story.”

Lighting designers of the production include faculty member Peggy Sannerud, guest designer Samantha Heaver, and students Ella Dierberger, Andy Glischinski, Gavin Johnson and Cameron Lornston.

Two works, Adelle Vietor’s “Ask the Moon” and Erin Drummond’s “Xx,” as seen in Dancescape 2017, will be representing the THAD Department at the American College Dance Festival. Joining these two will be a new solo piece by Nick Garcia.

Tickets are available online at www.wsuartstickets.com, by calling the WSU box office at 507-457-5235, or for purchase from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 12-16 and one hour prior to each show. Tickets are $12 for general public or $6 for students.

]]>https://news.winona.edu/11019/wsu-theatre-and-dance-presents-dancescape-2018/feed/011019Steven Blue Named CEO in Residence at WSUhttps://news.winona.edu/10858/steven-blue-named-ceo-in-residence-at-wsu/
https://news.winona.edu/10858/steven-blue-named-ceo-in-residence-at-wsu/#respondThu, 18 Jan 2018 19:34:00 +0000https://news.winona.edu/?p=10858Winona State University College of Business announces Steven L. Blue, President & CEO of Miller Ingenuity, as its first CEO in Residence.

Blue will begin his official duties Jan. 24 with a reception and public presentation on his recent co-authored book, Mastering the Art of Success. The reception will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the presentation at 7 p.m. Both events are open to the public and will take place in the Engagement Center, first floor Somsen Hall. As part of his role as CEO in Residence, Blue will also conduct an exclusive workshop about Mastering the Art of Success for College of Business studentsearlier that day.

“Serving as the first CEO in Residence for Winona State’s College of Business is a great honor,” said Blue. “I look forward to working with the students and faculty at WSU, and mentoring a new generation of business leaders.”

Blue is an internationally-recognized expert on leading change and business transformation, showing companies how to double and even quadruple growth. Because of his regular appearances on FOX,BusinessWeek, Forbes, The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine,AMA, Europe Business Review, The Adam Carolla Show and The Wall Street Journal, many media outlets refer to him as one of America’s Leading Mid-Market CEOs.

Blue holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York and an MBA from Regis University. Blue’s 7 Values of Ingenuity is the preeminent system to exponentially growing a business. His Innovational Potential offers a roadmap on how any company can ignite its creativity and innovation capability.

Blue is also the author of four highly-acclaimed books including the best seller Mastering the Art of Success, co-authored by Jack Canfield. His books focus on the secrets of the corporate world and providing insight to executives, leaders, and entrepreneurs.

“We are extremely fortunate to have an internationally renowned CEO and prolific author and leadership expert serve as our first ever CEO in Residence,” said Hamid Akbari, dean of the WSU College of Business. “In this role, Mr. Blue will conduct workshops, hold monthly office hours with students, and regularly meet with student clubs and faculty members. His example will undoubtedly inspire our students to greatness.”

For more information, contact Christine Nestor at CNestor@milleringenuity.com or Kimberly Vogen at kvogen@winona.edu.

Dr. William McBreen, RN, Dean for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at WSU welcomes the expansion for clinical capacity and the positive impacts APRNs will have in the region. “It is generally accepted that the best strategy for improved placement of nurse practitioner graduates in rural and underserved areas is to educate nurses from these areas. We also know that one of the primary barriers to nurse practitioner education is availability of clinical sites,” said McBreen.

This grant will enable WSU-R to expand its post-graduate certificate (PMHNP) program, increase placement of APRN students in rural and underserved areas, and provide preceptor training for up to 40 preceptors annually. Cultural competence content regarding care of rural and underserved clients will be incorporated into both preceptor training and core advanced health promotion course in which all graduate nursing students enroll.

Dr. Sonja J. Meiers, RN, Director of Graduate Nursing Programs at WSU-R, sees this grant as both an opportunity for expanding community partnerships in Minnesota and the surrounding region as well as the ability to equip more APRNs with the tools they require to meet community mental health needs. “This award funding will significantly enhance our ability to support our clinical partners in their mission of educating advanced practice providers. We appreciate that we have been entrusted to do this work on behalf of Minnesota communities, particularly in our rural settings. We look forward to what we will learn along with our clinical partners,” said Meiers.

Clinical partners include Olmsted Medical Center, Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center, Mayo Clinic Health System Albert Lea, Winona Health, and Zumbro Valley Mental Health. Each partnering organization will identify strategies that remove barriers to APRN clinical expansion. These strategies will be supported by grant funds and will provide a framework for expansion of clinical training sites throughout Minnesota. Mieca Valen, DNP, APRN, CNP, Coordinator of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at WSU-R, is the Principal Investigator for the grant. Dr. Sonja Meiers, and Dawn Van Ruler, PMNHP, APRN, MS, Coordinator of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program PMHNP at WSU will also support the grant.

“This funding is a rare opportunity to focus our attention on these critical aspects of nurse practitioner preparation and to work with our clinical affiliates to remove barriers to admission and the clinical education of nurses from rural Minnesota,” McBreen said.

For more information about the ORHPC grant or WSU-R Graduate Programs in Nursing, please contact: Dr. Mieca Valen, 507-285-7473, mvalen@winona.edu.

Rochester, Minn. – Winona State University – Rochester (WSU-R) and Destination Medical Center (DMC) will host an Information Technology (IT) Open House Jan. 16, 2018 to support the growing IT industry. The event will feature an IT industry professional panel as well as an opportunity for attendees to discuss workforce training needs. A survey revealed top priorities to developing instructor-led virtual or blended delivery modules in the most relevant languages including Java, Python, SQL, Java Script and HTML. The industry is interested in the flexibility of non-degree modules that could, when combined with a capstone or portfolio assessment, qualify for degree credit.

Minnesota State, IT Center of Excellence Director, Wilson Garland, served as a resource to facilitate a focus group seeking insight into industry needs. A plausible solution has been identified through a variety of methods from local IT professionals. Winona State University and Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) worked together to review the survey results and identify next steps. Dr. Linda Kingston, Winona State University’s Assistant VP of Distance Learning & Summer Session, believes collaboration is key to meeting current and future IT community needs. “Our goal is to develop curriculum that will meet the short-term training needs of our industry partners while providing opportunities to access credit toward degree completion at either the Associate or Baccalaureate degree level. We hope to have a completed product available to incumbent workers within the upcoming academic year.” said Kingston. WSU-R and RCTC worked together to review the survey results and identify next steps.

Dr. Jeanine Gangeness, Associate Vice President and Dean for Graduate Studies at WSU-R, values the commitment her faculty and staff have for meeting workforce needs. “WSU-Rochester was honored to be engaged by local professionals to survey and establish a plan for higher education institutions to respond to the needs in our community,” said Gangeness.

RCTC is considering a concept model for both short and long-term programming that could translate to the two and four-year degree levels. The target for this type of program would be to educate junior developers with a basic knowledge and experience, who need to learn more advanced concepts in application development and language specific knowledge. RCTC’s Director of Business and Workforce Education, Dr. Jennifer Wilson notes the importance of seeking out various pathways that meet the needs of both our businesses and our future workforce. “As educators, we must be flexible, yet responsive to the needs of industry by exploring innovative educational approaches that meet the continuously evolving IT conditions,” said Wilson.

Join us for the IT Open House to on January 16, 2018 at Cambria, 400 S. Broadway, Rochester from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. with IT professional panelists: David Borrillo, VP, Mobile Innovation of CoreLogic, Chris Lukenbill, Founder of Fresh Edge,and Nadia Wood, IT Architect at Mayo Clinic and Founder & CEO of The Hybrids.

This event is free and open to the public, prior registration is recommended at: wsu.mn/IT-open-house

For more information about the IT Training Initiative, please contact: Julie Kiehne at 507.457-5088 jkiehne@winona.edu.

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]]>10790Winona State University – Rochester (WSU-R) and Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce to host Business, Leadership, and Education Open House Jan. 18thhttps://news.winona.edu/10796/winona-state-university-rochester-wsu-r-and-rochester-area-chamber-of-commerce-to-host-business-leadership-and-education-open-house-jan-18th/
https://news.winona.edu/10796/winona-state-university-rochester-wsu-r-and-rochester-area-chamber-of-commerce-to-host-business-leadership-and-education-open-house-jan-18th/#respondThu, 11 Jan 2018 17:45:34 +0000https://news.winona.edu/?p=10796

Rochester, Minn. – Winona State University – Rochester (WSU-R) and the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Business, Leadership, and Education Open House Jan. 18, 2018 in response to local requests for relevant higher education offerings for the Rochester community. WSU-R studied organizational, business, and education connections with high-level engagement from CEDA, the Rochester Downtown Alliance, the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Destination Medical Center. The study engaged a broad population and provided data pertinent to community–centered programming.

Matt Bissonette, Vice President of Workforce & Education for the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to discussing the research findings at the open house. “We are very excited about the potential of this research,” Bissonette said.

Southeastern Minnesota, with the city of Rochester at its core, currently has more available jobs than workers. Shortage of both skilled and educated labor is expected to grow as unemployment remains at 3.3 percent, well below the national average of 4.1 percent. As DMC and other business sectors in the region are spurring economic growth, this effort is a great opportunity to identify the jobs needed for the next 20 years and define tools and systems to feed the pipeline.

This research allowed WSU-R to gather real-time data, then cross-reference historical information and other successful initiatives nationwide to help formulate strong, relevant educational offerings. Chris Hahn, a researcher for this study, believes the Rochester community needs to know the exciting opportunities revealed from this research. “It’s important that we share and discuss the findings of this research with our community. Employment opportunities, both available now and forecasted, have the chance to grow the Rochester community in many exciting ways,” Hahn said.

Dr. Jeanine Gangeness, Associate Vice President and Dean for Graduate Studies at WSU-R, believes the data reflects workforce education needs as well as outlines best approaches for higher education to remain closely connected and relevant in a rapidly – changing workforce. “This workforce–applicable research is what WSU-R has focused on for the past year to better serve the Rochester community,” said Gangeness.

WSU-R invites the public to an open house to review the results of this study and seek further community feedback for next steps. This event will take place Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 at 3 p.m. at 400 S. Broadway, Suite 300 (WSU – Rochester above Cambria), followed by the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, Business After Hours starting at 5:00 p.m. being hosted by Cambria.

For more information about the Business and Education Open House, please contact: Chris Hahn, 612-327-9729, cjhahn71@gmail.com

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]]>https://news.winona.edu/10796/winona-state-university-rochester-wsu-r-and-rochester-area-chamber-of-commerce-to-host-business-leadership-and-education-open-house-jan-18th/feed/010796Locust Named Associate Vice President for Inclusion & Diversityhttps://news.winona.edu/10721/locust-named-associate-vice-president-for-inclusion-diversity/
https://news.winona.edu/10721/locust-named-associate-vice-president-for-inclusion-diversity/#respondThu, 14 Dec 2017 17:42:29 +0000https://news.winona.edu/?p=10721Winona State University announces the appointment of Jonathan Locust, Jr. as Associate Vice President for Inclusion & Diversity and Chief Diversity Officer. Locust will join the university in January 2018.

As AVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Locust will provide innovative leadership and partnership at all levels of the university to promote and evaluate progress and impact of efforts to make excellence inclusive and welcoming throughout all aspects of our comprehensive regional state University community.

According to Denise McDowell, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Life, Locust has expertise in development and implementation of institutional diversity plans and will work to engage and support the university community on issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Locust currently serves as Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Director of Institutional Diversity at Ashland University in Ohio. He has a Ph.D. in Education Theory Foundations from the University of Toledo, a master’s degree in Higher Education from Kaplan University, and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from University of Cincinnati. He recently received the National Role Model award from Minority Access, a nonprofit organization with the mission of assisting institutions to recruit and retain underserved and underrepresented populations.

Locust looks forward to working collaboratively with the WSU community of learners.

“Through a framework of inclusive excellence, we will measure our success,” said Locust. “I want to thank Winona State University for this exciting opportunity.”

For more information, contact University Communications at 507-457-5024.